Where to Stay in Finse to Bike Rallarvegen: Hotel Finse 1222 Review 

Where To Stay in Finse to Bike Rallarvegen?

Finse is a teeny town located on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau in central Norway. The town is inaccessible by car; you can only enter by train. Truly, the only reason you would stay here is to cycle the acclaimed Rallarvegen biking trail from Finse to Flam. You can read all about cycling Rallarvegen here (link pending). It was a highlight of my trip to Norway, and I would highly recommend it. That said, it does take some logistical foresight to work into your itinerary. Part of that is where to stay in Finse. 

To bike the Rallarvegen Finse to Flam route, you need to spend the night before your ride in Finse so that you can eat a hearty breakfast prior to your ride and get an early start. You can take a train to Finse from Oslo (~4.5 hours) or a bus from Bergen (~2.25-3.5 hours depending on the line).

Finse Lodging Overview 

As I mentioned above, Finse is a tiny town. And when I say tiny, I mean tiny. Town may be an overstatement. It’s literally a train stop with 2 hotels, 2 bike shops, a public restroom, and a railway. No grocery stores. No retail. Subsequently, you literally have only 2 options for spending the night in Finse: Hotel Finse 1222, or the DNT Cabin.

Where to Stay in Finse – Lodge or Cabin?

Hotel Finse 1222 is a cozy hotel lodge. The price tag is steep, but it’s a fun and comfortable experience (and as you’ll read, there’s not much other choice for a conventional traveler). This post goes into further detail.

The DNT cabin option is for campers. DNT stands for “den norske turistforening” (Norwegian Trekking Association, in English), which is a prolific outdoors/recreation organization in Norway. They have over 500 budget friendly cabins throughout the country to promote hiking, outdoor activities, etc.¹ While much more budget friendly, they do not provide sheets or food. As stated above, Finse doesn’t have any grocery stores or restaurants, so unless you have a fully stocked camper, the cabins probably aren’t your move. As a conventional tourist, unless you’re prepared for a wilderness camp, Hotel Finse 1222 is really your only option.

Hotel Finse 1222 Overview

Hotel Finse is a 15 second walk from your arrival train. The “1222” portion of the name is a reference to the elevation – the lodge is 1222 meters above sea level (~4,000 feet). The hotel was originally built in 1906 as a lodge for railroad builders. It was re-opened 3 years later as a hotel.² Visitors come in the summer to cycle Rallarvegen, or in the winter for snow-mobiling, snow-shoeing, and other winter sports.

The Hotel Finse 1222 Experience

Value – What’s included in the Nightly Price at Hotel Finse 1222? 

For $325/night (as of August 2025), you get a basic room with a small shower, a fantastic 3 course meal in the lodge’s restaurant, a high quality and diverse breakfast buffet, and a packed lunch for the road the following day. While expensive, staying at Finse 1222 felt more like an experience rather than a hotel.

Ambiance

Hotel Finse 1222 is warm and cozy. The “lodge” vibes are definitely still intact with dark wood flooring, hung animal heads, retro ski prints on the walls, and thick rugs. The lobby area is surrounded by massive windows offering a beautiful view of the Hardangerjøkulen glacier and surrounding water. The key to your room is an old school tarnished metal key, straight from the early 1900s. 

Past the front desk to your left is the eating area, again, right on the water.

Food

The food is an absolute highlight of staying at Finse 1222. It was probably the most flavorful and well prepared I had on my entire trip to Norway.

Dinner

I’d recommend getting in early the night before so that you can have a leisurely dinner before your ride and enjoy the resort before getting a good night’s rest. Unfortunately, we suffered multiple train delays and ended up getting in just before the dining hall shut. The staff was very accommodating and we still enjoyed a delicious meal. 

Included is a 3 course meal with a menu that changes weekly, if interested, it can be shared with you several days prior via email, just email reception.  

We ordered as follows: 

Complimentary bruschetta with homemade tomato/olive tapenade. 

Appetizers

Patrick – Salmon tartar with avocado and mango salad.

Jenna – An incredible Chevre salad that included pear, beets, and warm goat cheese. 

Main

Arctic Char with Amadine Sauce and Potatoes.

Dessert

Patrick -Chocolate fondant with vanilla ice cream (admittedly, the superior choice)

Jenna- Creme Brulee with raspberry sorbet

Breakfast

What food is at the Hotel Finse 1222 breakfast buffet?

While the offerings were relatively simple, the quality was outstanding in the way that Europe does best. I tried some blueberry goat milk, which was delicious. The bread selection was phenomenal with fresh, hearty loaves available to slice. In my opinion, the absolute star of the show was the most delicious, hand whipped cream cheese I’ve ever had in my life. The breakfast spread also included scrambled eggs, baked beans, a small vegetable bar, fruit, a wide variety of milks and dairy free options, various nuts/seeds, and a yogurt and granola bar.

Sack Lunch

How do you eat lunch on the Rallarvegen trail?

It is customary for Norwegian hotels to provide sack lunches to guests when located near active sites, such as Rallarvegen or Trolltunga. Finse 1222 offered a better variety of sack lunch choices than the hotel we stayed at the following night in Tyssedal. Each room occupant can choose between several sandwiches, a choice of drink (they offer to fill up your canteen, or just direct you to your room. Tap water is drinkable in Norway, and frankly, so, so delicious), and a fruit. 2 sandwiches are provided per person.

Room

Our room was simple, but cozy. The comforters were warm and heavy, which was nice since Finse was significantly colder than both Oslo and Bergen in the high 30’s fahrenheit at night, even in August. We received a free upgrade, so the room pictured is one tier up from standard. There is a coat rack/boot trough that would be nice if visiting in the winter and trekking in covered in snow.

Bathroom

The bathroom was small, as expected in Europe. We had difficulty getting the water very warm, so we showered quickly. It could have been user error, but my husband and I had a hard time containing the shower water in the shower, so the toilet, floor, etc was all pretty wet. It may be worth asking for an extra towel or 2 at the front desk.

Staff

The staff was very kind and communicative with great English. We found they usually responded within 1-2 days via email. The front desk seemed to be staffed by native Norwegians, with much of our wait staff from different countries in Europe or South America.

Hotel Finse 1222 Review Summary

When searching where to stay to bike Rallarvegen, Hotel Finse 1222 is truly the best choice if starting in Finse. While pricey with suboptimal showers, the food is fantastic, the views are lovely, the rooms are warm, and it’s a fun and cozy experience definitely worth having.

Booking

You can book directly through the website here: https://www.hotelfinse1222.no/ 

At this time, I do not receive any commission for your purchase.

Have you stayed at Hotel Finse 1222 before? What was your experience? Let me know in the comments below.

1. 

   Great post! I haven’t been in years but it brings back some great memories. I remember being fascinated by the…

2. 

   Great post! I haven’t been in years but it brings back some great memories. I remember being fascinated by the…

3. 

   That stairwell 😍

4. 

   Jenna!!! This is a lovely post! Moving Norway to the top of my bucket list! ❤️

1. https://www.dnt.no/om-dnt/english/about-the-dnt-cabins/ ↩︎
2. https://www.snohetta.com/projects/hotel-finse#:~:text=The%20hotel%20was%20first%20built,place%20reopened%20as%20a%20hotel ↩︎